An interview is supposed to reveal whether someone can do the job. It should not become an accidental test of whether they can climb a staircase, hear an uncaptioned instruction, process an unexpected format or travel at a particular time.

Interview accommodations remove barriers so that candidates can participate meaningfully. They do not lower the standard for the role. The employer can still assess the same relevant capabilities while changing a feature of the process that would otherwise obscure them.

Invite requests before a problem occurs

Include a short accommodation statement in the advert and interview invitation. Use plain language such as: “If you need an adjustment to take part in the selection process, please tell us what would help.”

Provide more than one contact method where possible. A candidate may find a telephone call difficult but use email comfortably, or the reverse. Name a person or team that can respond confidentially instead of sending requests to the full interview panel.

Do not require candidates to identify a diagnosis in the initial request. The useful starting question is what barrier they expect and what adjustment would enable participation.

Respond with curiosity and discretion

Acknowledge the request promptly. Ask only for information needed to understand and arrange the adjustment. Questions should focus on the interview activity, timing, communication method, venue or assessment rather than the candidate’s complete medical history.

Discuss options with the candidate instead of assuming what they need. Two people with a similar impairment may use different strategies. If the first request cannot be implemented exactly, explore an effective alternative and explain the practical constraint.

Share information strictly on a need-to-know basis. A receptionist may need to know that step-free access is required; the entire panel does not need private details about why.

Adjust the process, not the job standard

First identify what the interview activity is intended to measure. If a timed written exercise is meant to test reasoning, extra time or assistive software may allow the candidate to demonstrate that reasoning. If speed under a defined condition is genuinely essential to the job, the employer should be able to explain that connection.

Possible adjustments include:

  • A step-free venue and accessible facilities.
  • A sign-language interpreter or live captions.
  • Extra time, rest breaks or a different assessment format.
  • Questions supplied in writing as well as spoken.
  • Permission to use assistive technology.
  • A quieter room or reduced sensory distractions.
  • A remote interview where it removes a travel barrier.
  • A support person where appropriate and agreed.

Avoid improvising an easier set of questions. Keep the assessed competencies and scoring standard consistent unless there is a defensible reason to change them.

Prepare the panel and venue

Confirm the arrangement with the candidate before the interview. Test any captions, meeting links, microphones, screen-sharing permissions or assistive software. Check the complete physical route from arrival to the interview room, not only whether the building has a ramp.

Tell panellists what they need to do. They may need to speak one at a time, face the candidate, allow additional processing time or pause while an interpreter completes a question. They do not need a private explanation of the candidate’s condition.

Build a little flexibility into the timetable. An accommodation can fail because the previous interview runs late, the accessible entrance is locked or a platform update disables a feature.

Keep assessment structured

Use a role-based scorecard and ask candidates the same core questions. Record evidence against defined criteria during or immediately after the interview. Structured assessment reduces the chance that unfamiliar communication styles or visible adjustments become mistaken for lack of competence.

Do not score a candidate down for using an approved accommodation. Evaluate the response or work produced, not the mechanism that allowed the person to participate.

After the interview, ask privately whether the agreed arrangement worked. Use that feedback to improve the next process, but do not make the candidate responsible for redesigning the employer’s entire system.

Build accommodation into normal operations

Create a simple internal workflow covering requests, confidentiality, decision authority, suppliers, costs, backup plans and record handling. Recruiters should know whom to contact without delaying the candidate while responsibilities are debated.

Review standard barriers in advance. Make adverts and application forms accessible, choose venues with inclusive access and purchase recruitment technology with accessibility in mind. The fewer barriers designed into the process, the fewer individual fixes will be required.

Track requests and outcomes at an anonymous, aggregate level where appropriate. Look for repeated problems, such as one assessment format generating frequent adjustment requests. The goal is not to count disability disclosures; it is to identify parts of the process that prevent fair participation.

Sources and limits

South African context is provided by the Department of Employment and Labour’s Technical Assistance Guidelines on the Employment of Persons with Disabilities, its employment equity guidance for employers and workers and its basic guide to unfair discrimination.

The appropriate response depends on the candidate, assessment and inherent requirements of the role. This article is not legal advice, and employers should obtain qualified guidance when a request raises complex operational or legal questions.